Past Events

This learning community is closed to select participants.  To learn more about this series, visit the homepage: Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas  

Session 2: A Strengths-Based Approach to Assisting Job Seekers with Gaps in Employment Description This webinar is for practitioners in Supported Employment, Supported Education, Assertive Community Treatment, or others providing vocational rehabilitation services. We will address the challenge many job seekers potentially encounter when they haven't worked for some time or may have left jobs due to less than favorable reasons--gaps in work history and how to explain them to employers. This can make developing resumes, completing applications, and feeling confident during job interviews difficult. We will explore different strategies and resources to assist job seekers in describing gaps in work history.   Objectives Participants will: 1. Describe various responses when addressing work history gaps.  2. Identify strategies and resources to assist job seekers in describing work history gaps. 3. Review tools to assist job seekers in completing applications and resumes to best explain work history gaps.

The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center will hold a meeting with Alaska stakeholders and advisory board members virtually on March 29, 2023, from 1:30-3:00pm Pacific. Zoom details and the agenda will be circulated to advisory board members and invited guests in advance of this meeting. Read more about this State planning series. View executive summary here.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 10:00 am - 11:15 am PT   Session 3 of 5 in the "Aging Out or Growing Together?" Series (view series page for full details) Aging Out or Growing Together? Flipping the Youth Services Paradigm to Better Support Young Adulthood March 29, 2023: Elevating Culturally Affirming and Sustaining Services and Practices in Youth Service Agencies   This five-part learning series is an open forum and discussion group for agencies and individuals that serve transition-aged youth and young adults. We will examine how our collective organizational values, implementation strategies, program design, and goals might expand to support the evolving, holistic needs of this age group. Join us for a panel discussion session on November 30th as we kick off this series that will bring together a diverse mix of youth-serving organizations to learn from each other's work and uplift the complex and comprehensive needs of transition aged youth. We will explore the creative ways youth-serving organizations are adjusting to best support them. Beyond exploring barriers to meaningful engagement and service provision, this generative space will also unpack culturally and developmentally appropriate models that support young adults in attaining wellness and self-actualization through guided conversation and promising-practice spotlights.   Series Learning Objectives Consider the unique experiences and developmental needs of transition-aged youth Build an understanding of brain science and culturally sustaining practices that strengthens service provision for transition-aged youth Expand organizational capacity to address priority topics, including but not limited to meaningful program engagement, teaming, healthy boundary setting, and accountability   Audience: All community-based organizations and institutions that support the mental health and wellness of transition-aged youth.    Series Sequence: from 10:00-11:15 am PT on the last Wednesday of every other month   We welcome you to join in listening, learning and dialogue for this session, starting with a presentation panel of representatives with three youth serving organizations and hear from all voices in the space.   Panelists   Dana Lucio, MACMHC, CSAC, CAMC  Dana Lucio is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and Certified Anger Management Counselor (CAMC).  Dana is currently serving at the Behavioral Health Program Manager and Clinical Supervisor at Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) in Hawaii. Dana uses a cognitive behavioral therapy approach when working in the community with a customized tactic that ensures each client’s unique needs are being met.  With behavioral focused therapy techniques, Dana can help her clients to develop the necessary skills needed for behavioral change.  Dana has served a diverse community throughout her career and enjoys working with young adult experiencing homelessness on Oahu.      Patrick Camangian, PhD Patrick Camangian is a former English teacher in Los Angeles and Oakland and a professor of Teacher Education at the University of San Francisco. Patrick’s interdisciplinary research on humanizing education intersects radical democratic analysis, critical pedagogy, and health science research. Patrick pursues these areas of research to improve teacher quality, capacity, and retention, as well as to inform policies and practices impacting urban schools and communities.     Ricardo Garcia-Acosta Ricardo Garcia-Acosta serves as the Director of Community Peace with CURYJ (Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice) as well as the movement to “Dream Beyond Bars”, while continuing to work on a broad spectrum of projects focused on Training & Capacity Building among Frontline Intervention Providers throughout the Bay Area. He has worked with high-risk, systems-impacted youth and young adults for the past 20 years. He is a thought leader on Crisis Response and Community Intervention Strategies as well as Care Management frameworks rooted in traditional healing practices, that seek to reduce gun violence and build community peace. His passion for collective healing, self-determination and community empowerment, continue to guide his commitment to build systems that best support youth and families impacted by violence.     Facilitator  Oriana Ides, MA, APCC, PPS Oriana Ides is a School Mental Health Training Specialist at CARS (the Center for Applied Research Solutions) and approaches healing the wounds of trauma and oppression as core elements of social justice. She has worked with young people across the life course from elementary school to college, and has served as teacher-leader, school counselor, classroom educator and program director. She is committed to generating equity within school structures and policies by focusing on evidence-based mental health techniques and institutional design.   Visit the main page for more information on this series.  

The South Southwest MHTTC is pleased to host this event. In this webinar, clinical psychologist Dr. Jason Schiffman will provide information and tangible suggestions on how to effectively work with schools, families, and students on behalf of high school students with psychosis.     Guided in part by features shared between supported employment and supported education, the importance of schools in the well-being and recovery of a young person with psychosis will be highlighted. Schools have a variety of assets and limitations that will be discussed to help orient First Episode Psychosis (FEP) providers to effective strategies for supporting their youth and family.     Possible targets of action for providers include describing their role, reducing stigma against psychosis, providing psychoeducation, increasing safety (e.g., the threat of harm to self, bullying), instilling hope and optimism, developing a plan with the student and their family, and creating a team approach between all stakeholders. Federally mandated educational programs and regulations (e.g., IDEA, IEPs, 504s) will be discussed, along with relevant accommodations for students.     1.5 Continuing Education Units available.   Download: Dr. Schiffman's Presentation:  Slide Deck Handout:  Resources for Mental Health Providers on Understanding Accommodations in Schools     Speaker     Dr. Schiffman earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California. He is Professor and Director of Clinical Training within the Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Schiffman previously founded and developed two clinical, research, and training programs serving people at clinical high-risk for psychosis. He has published over 180 scientific articles and procured $10M in grants. Dr. Schiffman is one of only three certified trainers of the SIPS in the US. His psychosis research refines the identification process of people at risk, elucidates the effects of psychosocial interventions, and uncovers mechanisms reducing stigma.

United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. and New England MHTTC would like to invite you and your staff to attend "Reclaiming Native Psychological Brilliance: Wise Practices," a Tribal Behavioral Health ECHO webinar series. Native Psychological Brilliance refers to the intelligence, strengths, balance, innate resources, and resilience of Native people.  This no-cost telehealth series will be held on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 11:00 am Pacific/12:00 pm Mountain/1:00 pm Central/2:00 pm Eastern. Each session will be one hour in length and will provide an opportunity for participants to:  Gain skills on strength-based approaches in partnership with Native People to enhance Native behavioral health Discuss ways that Native brilliance is demonstrated and supports behavioral health Learn about Native brilliance examples to share with behavioral health and other health care staff, as well as with local Tribal Nation citizens   The topic of March's session is: "Native Trauma and Healing: Releasing the Trauma Our Body Holds, Part 2."   The concept of Native psychological brilliance will be celebrated through Native music video and Native spoken word performances as part of each session. Who should attend? Tribal health directors, clinic staff, counselors, social workers, physicians, nurses, Tribal Epidemiology Center staff, and anyone supporting Tribal communities through the health or behavioral health sector are welcome to join. Continuing education credits will be provided.   If you need accommodations to join this event, please contact us.

NOTE: This event is specifically for Washington State attendees who are part of the behavioral health workforce. This session is part of the Older Adults track of the Mental Health Institute. ABOUT THIS EVENT Mental health providers working with older adults must have an understanding of the presentation of mental illness in older adults. This workshop will provide information on mental illnesses commonly occurring in late life and skills related to distinguishing mental and physical illness, and differentiating depression, delirium, and dementia.  Contact hours will be available for participants who attend the entire session. The University of Washington is an approved provider of continuing education for DOH licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychologists, chemical dependency professionals, nurses and physicians under the provisions of: WAC 246-809-610, WAC 246-809-620,WAC 246-811-200, WAC 246-840-210, WAC 246-919-460 and WAC 246-924-240.   Session is 2-4pm PT See more in the Older Adults (OA) track HERE  LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE HERE FACILITATORS Patrick Raue, PhD  Patrick J. Raue, PhD is Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from SUNY Stony Brook in 1995.Dr. Raue conducts NIMH-supported research on training non-specialists in behavioral interventions; patient preferences and shared decision-making approaches for depression; and the effectiveness of psychotherapy for older adults.Dr. Raue is Associate Director for Evidence-Based Psychosocial Interventions at the AIMS Center, and Director of the National Network of PST Clinicians, Trainers & Researchers. In these roles, he develops and leads implementation and training programs in a variety of behavioral health interventions.Dr. Raue’s clinical expertise includes the identification and management of mental health conditions in community and medical settings, including primary care and home health care.      Leilani Feliciano, PhD https://psychology.uccs.edu/leilani_feliciano  Leilani Feliciano, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). Dr. Feliciano has spent the past 20+ years working in interdisciplinary academic-community environments conducting applied research. Her research interests broadly target mental health and aging and underserved populations. Dr. Feliciano’s work relates to the intersection between health (e.g., diabetes, insomnia) and mental health concerns (e.g., depression, cognitive impairment). Her long-standing program of research has addressed depressive disorders, behavioral interventions, and the screening and assessment of cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, among others. This research involves an exploration of how psychological, behavioral and environmental factors may contribute to the development and management of physical and mental health conditions associated with aging. Dr. Feliciano is currently serving as the Director of Clinical Training at UCCS, has a history of federal funding for both research and the clinical training of doctoral students (HRSA GPE), and serves on the editorial board for several journals within the fields of aging, clinical psychology, and behavior analysis.        VISIT THE MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTE MAIN PAGE    

This learning community is closed to select participants.  To learn more about this series, visit the homepage: Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas  

This training will discuss the circular impact that mental health and substance abuse have on each other. It is presented as a collaboration with the Mountain Plains Addiction Technology Transfer Center.  Event Description This 90-minute presentation will provide in-depth information surrounding adolescent co-occurring disorders, including the presence and interaction of mental illness and substance use disorders. Attendees will be able to recognize signs of these conditions and behavioral presentation. You will learn about the circular impact that mental health and substance abuse have on each other and various intervention strategies. Time will be spent reviewing a case study to apply your learning from this presentation to a real case. Learning Objectives Learn the signs and symptoms of common adolescent substance use disorders, including vaping, and mental health conditions  Identify risk and protective factors for mental illness, substance use, and co-occurring conditions  Discuss the circular impact that mental health and substance abuse have on each other  Learn behavioral identifiers for these conditions and discuss ways to increase protective factors  Trainer Emily Althoff, LPCC, LMAC                     Emily Althoff is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Licensed Master Addiction Counselor in North Dakota and the owner of Althoff Therapy Services PLLC. She holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and a Master of Public Administration from University of Mary. She has worked with youth and families for over ten years. Emily has found her passion in working through caregivers to improve the lives of the youth she serves.  As a mother herself and having experienced substance abuse and mental illness within her family, Emily believes in providing the quality of service to her clients that she would want for her own family. Her personal self-care activities include playing at the park with her kids, lounging on the patio with her husband, cooking a super high-calorie breakfast, or binge-watching reality TV. 

The National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC), in collaboration with the Project AWARE Hall County, Georgia, will conduct a table talk, TODOS UNIDOS: A community discussion on the mental health and well-being of our Hispanic community. For this, community-based providers of behavioral health care services, school personnel, community organizations, families, and school-aged youth will be invited to the table to: Discuss the behavioral health needs of Hispanic students and families and how mental health providers can address them. Discuss recommendations and strategies for the school mental health workforce serving Hispanic students and families. This is an event by invitation only. English and Spanish-speaking community members and school mental health service providers are encouraged to participate.

Differentiating between autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorder can be quite difficult, particularly in adolescents and young adults. This educational webinar will review the two diagnoses and how to differentiate between them. For individuals who have both disorders, figuring out which one is actually contributing to the patient’s impairment can be challenging, and this webinar will address this concern. Finally, how to treat those with autism, those with psychosis, and those with both disorders will be reviewed. Presenter: Dr. Jean A. Frazier is the Executive Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Chan Medical School. The Shriver Center engages in outstanding research, education, and clinical care and service programs that are devoted to supporting, empowering, and including people with autism spectrum disorder and those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the community. She has led the Shriver Center since 2015. In addition, she is the Robert M. and Shirley S. Siff Endowed Chair in Autism and Tenured Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. Since 2020, she has been the Medical Director of the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for those with Autism (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) - a program that aims to support our Massachusetts Crisis Teams in their work with individuals with ASD and IDD during times of behavioral crises. She is the founder of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CANDO) clinical program. Dr. Frazier served as a Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and as the Division Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division at UMASS Chan Medical School and UMASS Memorial Health Care from 2008-2018. She has 3 decades of clinical and research experience in working with individuals with ASD who also have comorbid psychiatric conditions, most especially bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Dr. Frazier has published 185 peer reviewed journal articles and 30 book chapters. She is a highly sought out mentor and teacher and has won numerous awards for her teaching and mentoring including the Outstanding Educator Award for Mental Health Education from the New England Educational Institute.   If you would like accommodations to participate in any of our events, please contact us at [email protected].

This learning community is closed to select participants.  To learn more about this series, visit the homepage: Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas  

Supporting Recovery for People Aging with Serious Mental Health Conditions Session 2: Best Practices in Psychiatric Rehabilitation for people aging with serious mental health conditions This session will explore specialized psychiatric rehabilitation programs for people aging with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) and discuss practices to empower and promote mental health in people aging with SMHC, such as shared-decision making. Learning Objectives: • Identify the strengths and challenges of people aging with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) • List examples of psychiatric rehabilitation programs for people aging with SMHC • Clarify the benefits of peer-delivered services for people aging with SMHC

  DESCRIPTION:  Most modes of psychotherapy believe that it is pathological to have “parts." That is not the case in IFS, Internal Family Systems therapy. In IFS, the idea of multiplicity of the mind is normal. Every part has a good intention, and every part has value. All clients have the ability to heal themselves if they listen to their parts. IFS is a very powerful tool for clinicians. Once you see it in action, you’ll be hooked! And you’ll want to immediately incorporate it into your practice.   In developing IFS thirty years ago, creator Richard Schwartz, PhD, realized that clients were describing experiences with various parts within themselves, many of which were extreme. When these parts felt safe and had their concerns addressed, they were less disruptive. Dr. Schwartz recognized that, as in systemic family theory, parts take on characteristic roles that help define the inner world of the client. Today, IFS has established a legacy of effectiveness in successfully treating many mental health issues and is being heralded as the treatment that all clinicians should know in order to treat clients effectively.     LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Describe the IFS model and ways to integrate IFS into your clinical practice. Identify and work with your client’s parts   Identify and demonstrate how to work with the clinician’s own parts   Summarize an alternate view of symptoms and psychopathology, understanding that these are ways a clients tries to protect themself from emotional pain and psychological wounding   Explain how IFS increases the therapist’s curious and compassionate self when working with difficult and challenging clients.   Learn the neuroscience behind the healing process in IFS therapy.      CONTINUING EDUCATION: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will be eligible to receive 4 hours of continuing education (CE) from the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). CE certificates for this training are managed and disseminated by the hosting agency (WAFCA).     PRESENTER:   Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.  Dr. Anderson is a Lead Trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self Leadership.     Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy-New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on “What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy” and recently co-authored Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.     His most recent book, entitled “Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems” was released on May 19, 2021. Dr. Anderson maintains a private practice in Concord, MA.     The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

This free, 1-hour training will introduce participants to the mental health literacy package, Classroom WISE, and the new companion training course, Cultural Inclusiveness, and Equity WISE. Classroom WISE is a FREE 3-part training package that assists K-12 educators and school personnel in supporting students' mental health in the classroom. Developed by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network in partnership with the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH), this package offers strategies and skills to engage and support student mental health needs in the classroom. CIE WISE is a 2-hour, self-paced online course designed to promote cultural self-awareness and understanding of the impacts of social injustices on students. Learners will also be equipped with culturally inclusive and equitable strategies to promote well-being and support students experiencing adversity, distress, and mental health concerns in the classroom.

Session 1: Inclusive Work Culture- Assessing for Fit This webinar is for practitioners in Supported Employment, Supported Education, Assertive Community Treatment, or others providing vocational rehabilitation services. Examining work culture provides an opportunity to gather important material about the company to assist job seekers. Work culture includes how employees interact with one another, the values of an organization, and the characteristics such as physical space and the hierarchical structure. We will discuss various ways to assess work culture to provide job seekers valuable information about this critical workplace component.   Objectives: Participants will: -Identify features of inclusive workplaces. -Describe methods to assess workplace culture. -Conduct a work culture analysis.

  DESCRIPTION: This webinar focuses on the plight of children and parents from Central America who have sought asylum in the U.S. Drawing on his research, clinical work, and the available literature, Zayas identifies the forces that drive families to make precarious journeys to safety and the effects of immigration detention. He then points to the numerous stressors and traumas suffered by children, operating from the perspectives of human attachment and mental health. Zayas poses critical questions for providers of all types who assess, treat, and organize services for these families.      LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Introduce participants to the stages of migration and the stressors and traumas children and parents face. Discuss the mental health effects on children of detention and separation and illustrate the damage to child-parent attachment using empirical and theoretical perspectives. Enhance participants’ knowledge and skills for assessing and developing service plans for children and families in their communities.     CERTIFICATES: Registrants who fully attend this event or training will receive a certificate of attendance via email within two weeks after the event or training.      PRESENTER:   Luis H. Zayas, PhD, is a professor and the Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, and Professor of Psychiatry at the Dell Medical School of The University of Texas at Austin. Zayas is both a social worker and developmental psychologist. His clinical work and research have focused on disadvantaged families, particularly Hispanic and other ethnic/racial minorities, and immigrant and refugee children and parents. His research has been published in leading scientific journals. Zayas has lectured nationally and internationally and is a frequent commentator in Spanish- and English-language media including radio, television, and print publications on topics of mental health, immigration, and youth suicide.    He is the author of Latinas Attempting Suicide: When Cultures, Families, and Daughters Collide (Oxford, 2011), a book that explores and analyzes the documented, decades-long data on Hispanic girls attempting suicide. Drawing on cultural psychology, adolescent development, and family functioning, Zayas provides rich details on why some Latinas attempt suicide and others do not despite many similarities. Zayas is also the author of Forgotten Citizens: Deportation, Children, and the Making of American Exiles and Orphans (Oxford, 2015) on the mental health of U.S. citizen-children whose parents are deported to Mexico.  Forgotten Citizens was a finalist for the 2016 Hamilton Book Award and the 2016 Book Award Honorable Mention from the Society for Social Work and Research.     His forthcoming book on refugee children and mothers from Central America who are held in U.S. detention centers and separated, titled Through Iceboxes and Kennels: How Immigration Detention Harms Children and Families, is due out in early 2023.       The Great Lakes MHTTC is offering this training for individuals working in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI. This training is being provided in response to a need identified by Region 5 stakeholders.

Session Overview:  The Biden Administration and Congress are showing renewed commitment to improving school-based mental health and substance use disorders services for young people. Through passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022), we expect to see new federal guidance (revising policies that have not been updated in almost 20 years), the launch of a school Medicaid technical assistance center, and $50 million in state grants. In this webinar event, Lena O’Rourke (on behalf of Healthy Schools Campaign), Orla Kennedy and Dusan Stojicic (Community Catalyst) will explain how school mental health leaders can leverage these opportunities to improve school-based health services, including meaningfully engaging young people in that process.   Learning Objectives: By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 1. Identify key federal opportunities from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act for financing school-based mental health and substance use programs for young people.  2. Identify strategies for engaging leaders at the school, district, and state levels to effectively leverage these financing opportunities 3. Identify ways to meaningfully engage youth when leveraging these federal financing channels to improve school-based health services   Speakers:                      Lena O’Rourke (she, her), on behalf of Healthy Schools Campaign Lena O’Rourke is founder and Principal at O’Rourke Health Policy Strategies. She is an experienced health care policy analyst and strategist focused on expanding access to high quality, affordable health insurance and Medicaid. Her work focuses on national and state policy campaigns to influence legislative and regulatory policy. Lena has worked as a health care and social justice advocate for over 20 years. Most recently, she worked intensively on federal and state policy to expand and strengthen the ability of states and school districts to leverage school Medicaid to support student health and wellness. She leads the Healthy Students, Promising Futures Learning Collaborative (HSPF), a project of Healthy Schools Campaign. In this role, Lena provides support directly to state Medicaid agencies, state departments of education, and school districts on policy opportunities and choices to expand and enhance school-based Medicaid programs. In this role she also works with federal legislators and policymakers to offer support, technical assistance, and to share the experiences of states on school Medicaid.                     Orla Kennedy (she, her), Senior Policy Analyst, Community Catalyst Orla Kennedy is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Substance Use Disorders team at Community Catalyst, where she advocates for policy changes to improve substance use disorders treatment and recovery support services and promote alternatives to incarceration. Orla has experience in policy research and analysis, community engagement, and technical assistance. She has worked at John Snow, Inc., Harvard School of Public Health and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Orla brings her public health perspective to Community Catalyst, and is passionate about health equity and improving health outcomes for underserved populations. Orla has a Master of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor’s from Providence College.                     Dusan Stojicic (he, him), Associate Program Director, Community Catalyst Dusan Stojicic is Associate Director for the Substance Use Disorders and Justice-Involved Populations Program at Community Catalyst as well as an individual with lived experience of substance use disorders. As part of the program, he assists in managing initiatives to ensure that affordable and appropriate prevention, early intervention, and treatment services are available to all. This includes organizing communities, developing policy alternatives, and advocating for change in public policy and regulatory policy. Originally trained as a health economist, Dusan has gained most of his experience in working with communities directly. Dusan holds a Master's degree in Health Economics and Analysis from the Heller School at Brandeis University.      

Bethany Yeiser will describe her trajectory from the onset of schizophrenia, through acute psychosis, homelessness, two brief incarcerations, full recovery, and her college graduation with high honor. Bethany will also discuss strategies for effective teamwork among families and health care providers, helping patients develop insight into mental illness, consent to treatment, and achieve the highest possible level of recovery. She will describe the work of the CURESZ Foundation (Comprehensive Understanding via Research and Education into SchiZophrenia).   If you would like accommodations to participate in any of our events, please contact us at [email protected].

DESCRIPTION Workplace stress affects everyone and all too often we bring it home to our families. We may feel helpless confronted with the enormous need for change in the structural aspects of large systems. However, as leaders, managers, and workers, we are able to create workplace environments that honor emotions without being controlled by them. Where interpersonal conflicts are successfully managed, and where staff have a clear set of operating values that guide our interactions with each other and our clients in ways that promote well-being. This presentation will address readjusting our own workplaces, which means thinking about them not as machines but as living organizations; not entirely dissimilar to our own bodies or “biocracies”. Thus, we are better able to describe what we are aiming for in the workplace: health for everyone.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Examine what a “biocracy” might look like Describe a clear set of operational values to guide the biocratic process Recognize guidelines for leaders in creating and sustaining trauma-informed, biocratic organizations   PRESENTER Dr. Sandra L. Bloom is a Board-Certified psychiatrist, graduate of Temple University School of Medicine and currently Associate Professor, Health Management and Policy at the Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University. She is also the Founder of Creating Presence, an online organizational approach for creating trauma-informed systems. Dr. Bloom is a Past-President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and author or co-author of a series of books on trauma-informed care. She is currently co-chairing CTIPP – The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice, a national organization whose goal is to advocate for public policies and programs at the federal, state, local and tribal levels that incorporate up-to-date scientific findings regarding the relationship between trauma across the lifespan and many social and health problems.  

  The registration link for this training will be provided to participants who complete the prerequisite course Motivational Interviewing Level 1 (Relational Skills).   Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based practice used to help people overcome their ambivalence about change. In this interactive, skills-based workshop, participants will learn about and practice the spirit of MI and both the relational and technical skills.   LEARNING OBJECTIVES Define and summarize the processes of focusing and evoking Identify different strategies for focusing and prepare to apply them to client interactions Define and recognize change talk, sustain talk, and discordance Differentiate between client cues of readiness, ambivalence, and discordance Construct effective responses to different client cues Design a plan for advancing individual MI skills Prerequisite: Motivational Interviewing Level 1 (Relational Skills)     Training Dates: March 22, 2023 from 8:30AM-11:30AM CT March 29, 2023 from 8:30AM-11:30AM CT April 5, 2023 from 8:30AM-11:30AM CT     CONTINUING EDUCATION: Registrants who fully attend this training will be eligible to receive 9 NAADAC certified continuing education (CE) hours. CE certificates are sent via email within two weeks after the conclusion of the training.      TRAINER Laura Saunders, MSSW Laura A. Saunders, MSSW, is the Wisconsin State Project Manager for the Great Lakes Addiction, Mental Health and Prevention Technology Transfer Centers. Her position is housed at the UW–Madison, where she’s worked since 1988. Since 2001, Laura has provided SBIRT and Motivational Interviewing training to physicians, nurses, medical students, psychologists, specialty addiction treatment providers, social workers, physical therapists, health educators, and staff who work in correctional settings. She has provided feedback and coaching to hundreds of social workers, correctional staff, and other human service providers who are interested in using evidence-based practices with fidelity. Laura joined the international group of Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) in 2006 (Sophia, Bulgaria) and is an active member of the Wisconsin MINT group.     To ensure all participants get the most out of these interactive virtual trainings, we ask that everyone be prepared to do the following in every session:     The Great Lakes ATTC and MHTTC offer Motivational Interviewing and SBIRT training for behavioral health professionals in HHS Region 5: IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI.

The School Mental Health Supplement of Northwest MHTTC was requested by SAMHSA to provide technical assistance (TA) during our Year 5 (Dates Pending) to the Project AWARE grantees from the 2018-2021 cohorts. This event is for state-level Project Aware Grantee staff in Region 10 only   March 21 @ 2:30pm PST / 4:30 CT / 1:30 Alaska April 18 @  9am PST / 11am CT / 8am Alaska May 19 @ 9am PST / 11am CT / 8am Alaska June 9 @ 2:30 PST / 4:30 CT / 1:30 Alaska July 21 @ 2:30 PST / 4:30 CT / 1:30 Alaska August 29 @ 9am PST / 11am CT / 8am Alaska  

This learning community is closed to select participants.  To learn more about this series, visit the homepage: Implementing Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in Kansas  

The Region 6 Peer Support Advisory Committee (PSAC) to the South Southwest MHTTC meets on a monthly basis to collaborate across the states and tribal communities to identify and address common areas of need and share resources. Based on feedback from the PSAC, and needs identified by peers across Region 6, the MHTTC organizes training and technical assistance focused on peer retention and workforce development. This is a closed meeting.